Balancer



M. PERI-AT Jam 18, 41944i.

BALANCER Filed Aug, 12. 1940 Patented Jan. 18, 1944 UNITED STATES `m'rI.1\1T OFFICE BALANCER Marcel Periat, San Mateo, Calif. Application August 12, 1940, Serial No. 352,303 2 claims. (c1. 152-330) My invention relates to means for balancing -rotating bodies and particularly such bodies having a relatively soft portion, such as a tire casing, thereupon.

It is recognized that in order to balance rotating bodies, especially Wheel assemblies having Vtire casings thereupon, additional weight must be alxed thereto. -This has resulted in the provision of various different types of weights, some metallic and others exible and often of rubber, which are secured to the rotatable wheel assembly. The method of attaching such weights or the manner of applying them presents some difculties since cement, vulcanizing and the like entail the use of considerable time and do not always provide a sufficiently secure attachment to resist the tremendous dislodging forces involved. Y v

It is therefore an object of Vmy invention to provide a balancer which can be applied in a very short time. l

.Another object of my invention is to provide a balancer which can be readily aiiixed to a wheel assembly yet which is `rmly engaged thereto.

Another object of my invention is to provide a method of afilxing a balancer to a rotatable Wheel-so that-the balancer is very firmly fixed even though but little manual force is utilized.

The foregoing and other objects are attained in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wheel assembly with a balancer in accordance with my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure of Fig. 1, a portion being shown in cross-section, the plane of which is indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, similar to Fig. 2, showing in greater detail a balancer aiiixed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 4 is an interior elevation of a balancer of modified form;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section the plane of which is indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a balancer of further modified form; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-section the plane of which is indicated by the line 'I-l of Fig. 6.

In its preferred form, the balancer of my invention comprises a weight adapted to be aflixed to a tire casing or comparable penetrable material by means of sharp tines or projections incorporated with the weight. The method includes the initial positioning of a tined weight adjacent Vl, having a rim 1 aixed thereto, and upon which a tire casing 8 is mounted. The casing ordinarily includes a fabric interior which is coated with rubber or comparable pierceab-le material,

and takes the shape in cross-section substantially of a circle. The greatest axial dimension of the casing is substantially indicated by a line 5' in Fig. 2, and radially inward of such line the tire casing is decreased in axial dimension, and radially outward of such line the tire casing is decreased in axial dimension.

In accordance with my invention, the Wheel assembly is tested for unbalance in a Well known manner and is to receive a balancer or balancers of the type shown herein. In a preferred form, each balancer includes a pad or body 4II which is primarily a weight and is chosen for its particular mass or weight. The body II is flexible and is conveniently fabricated of rubber of a contour suitable to concentrate the mass, and preferably has feathered or-tapered edges in order to merge relatively smoothly with the casing to which it is to be attached. The flexibility of the pad II, however, is at least equal to that of the casing 8 so that the pad partakes of the movements of such casing as the wheel assembly operates.

In order to affix such pad or weight I I to the casing 8, I preferably provide one and sometimes a plurality of hooks or tines I2. In one instance each of these is composed of a bent wire having an eye I3 at one end, which is secured to the pad Il by a rivet I4 passing therethrough and having an enlarged head I6 on the side next to the casing 8 and a turned-over bead I1 on the exterior, so that while the hook I2 can rotate slightly about the body of the rivet I4 it cannot separate from the pad II. The other end of the hook wire I2 is reversely bent and is provided with a sharpened point I8 which readily penetrates the material, Whether rubber or fabric or both, of the tire casing 8. Such penetration, however, is not entirely through the casing. In the event a plurality of hooks I2 are utilized, they are spaced apart in a circumferential direction on the pad Il so that each of them can move with respect to the others, not only about its individual rivet but in other directions as well since the hooks are connected only by the interposed exible rubber of the pad. Furthermore, the hooks are movable slightly toward and away from each other in order to accommodate themselves automatically to the casing to which they are applied.

In accordance with my invention,`the method of applying the balancer is to determine rst the location to which a balancer should be applied in accordance with any Well known method and, while the Wheel assembly is stationary, manually to apply the weight Il thereto in such location and start the tines or hooks IB into position by slightly piercing the tire casing therewith. As` soon as the Weight is thereby partially. engaged in position, the Wheel assembly is rotated rapidly, whereupon the centrifugal force due to' such rotation, acting upon the weight Il, tendsl to causeit to move radially outward of the Wheel assembly, thereby embedding the hooks l2 as firmly as possible in the casing 8,.and'causing. the pad Il to seat rmly against the Wall of the casing 8. In order to get the bestzresults, preferably the hooks I8 and also the pad I I are located .radially inward of themaximum axialdimension 9 of the casing. Balancers which have been ap,- plied in accordance With this method, although entirely flexible and able to yield in company with the casing, are iirmly aii'lxed and are relatively immovable for all practical purposes. In thevevent, however, that the wheel assembly is altered or that the balancek weight should be moved to a different location, it is possible, when the wheel assembly is not rotated, to disengage the hooks Il from the tire casing and toreinstall the same unit ina different location or to install the balancer on a different assem-- bly. Yet in service there is no dislodgment of the balancer and it hasthe attribute of adhering more tightly to the casinglthe` faster the/assembly rotates.

The.- exact. mechanical form` of the balancer shown-.inFigsl l, 2and.3. need not be adhered to, for in Figs. 4, andv5there isshownasomef what different form in which all of the tines 2| of the balancer 22 are integral with a continuous strip 23 extending longitudinally of the balancer. The strip 23 is preferably embedded in the material of the pad for a better appearance and a rmer bond, and, instead of utilizing only reversely turned tines or hooks, as in the rst instance, the strip 23 not only has the reversely turned hooks 2| but also has tines or hooks 24 each of Whichmakes an obtuse angle with the main body of the strip 23 instead ofA an acute angle therewith. The general operation and use of this form is substantially the same as in connection With the rst modification.

As an additional modiiication, in Figs. 6 and '7 there is shown a form in which the pad 26 is provided with a plurality of hook members 21 eachoiwhich includes a central body 28 of metal directly vulcanized to the material of the pad 26, usually rubber, and which central member has anupper tine 29 projecting therefrom atan obtuse angleanda lowertine 3l projecting therefrom at an acute angle. But the various bodies 28 of the successive hooks are not joined, and hence this rform has substantially thesame flexibilityas the first form, whereas the second-form is usually somewhat-, stiffen The methodofioperationiwith the` formsshown inFigs. 4l and-.6 is substantially,- the same., as. that with;` the form shown iniFig. 1.

I claim: y

1. A balancer adapted. to. bei` attached to` a mounted. iniiatedY tire; casing comprising, a at weight adapted tol lie;against the sidewallof: the casing, and sharpyhooksfastened to andi lying atan acute angleftorthe. weightiadapted toipenetrate the side wallY of. the.. casingA to hold;V the weight against dislodgment by centrifugalforce'.

2. Af balancer adaptedu to.; beattached'. to a mounted iniiated tirecasing comprising a` flat weight adapted to lie against the side walllof the casing, an-dY sharp divergingprojections adapted to penetrate the side wall of the casing, .secured to saidweight and.' disposed atan acute: angle thereto.

MARCEL PERIAT. 

